On this page:

• Residency criteria
• Prior study and training criteria
• Learner eligibility FAQs

To be eligible for final-year Fees Free, a learner must:

• complete an eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme, and
• meet the residency criteria on the day they complete their qualification or programme, and
• meet the prior study and training criteria.

Learners who accessed first-year Fees Free are not eligible for final-year Fees Free.

Residency criteria

Provider-based study and work-based learning each have their own residency and qualification/programme eligibility criteria.

• Provider-based study means courses where a learner is studying on campus, or online.
• Work-based learning means programmes where a learner is training in a workplace, or doing “on the job” learning.

If a learner needs help determining their residency status, advise them to contact Immigration New Zealand through their contact centre on 0508 558 855.

Provider-based learner residency criteria

A provider-based learner must be one of the following when they complete their qualification:

New Zealand citizen or ordinarily resident:

• a New Zealand citizen; or
• a holder of a residence class visa and:
  • ordinarily resident in New Zealand and have held a residence class visa for at least three years while living in New Zealand; or
  • a person granted refugee or protected person status, or a family member granted a residence visa with the person granted refugee or protected person status; or
  • sponsored into New Zealand by someone in their family who, at the time of sponsorship, was a refugee or protected person.

Refugee or protected person or their immediate family:

• a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or
• a family member of a person with refugee or protected person status in New Zealand, who is:
  • the partner or any child of the person granted refugee or protected person status, or
  • the parent or any sibling of the person granted refugee or protected person status, if the person granted refugee or protected person status is a dependent child.

Christchurch response visa holder, or their immediate family:

• a holder of the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or
• a holder of a residence class visa who would have been eligible for the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or
• a holder of a residence class visa who is a family member of a living person, where that living person is:
  • the holder of a Christchurch Response Visa residing in or outside of New Zealand; or
  • a New Zealand citizen residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:
    • was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been a New Zealand citizen on 15 March 2019; or
    • was granted New Zealand citizenship after holding a Christchurch Response Visa; or
  • the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:
    • was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 or on 15 March 2019; or
  • is the holder of a resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who held the resident visa on 15 March 2019 and who was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa.

Afghan evacuee:

• a holder of the Afghan Emergency Resettlement Resident Visa.

Work-based learner residency criteria

A work-based learner must be one of the following when they complete their programme:

New Zealand citizen or ordinarily resident:

• a New Zealand citizen; or
• a holder of a residence class visa and:
  • ordinarily resident in New Zealand; or
  • a person granted refugee or protected person status, or a family member granted a residence visa with the person granted refugee or protected person status; or
  • sponsored into New Zealand by someone in their family who, at the time of sponsorship, was a refugee or protected person

Refugee or protected person or their immediate family:

• a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or
• a family member of a person with refugee or protected person status in New Zealand, who is:
  • the partner or any child of the person granted refugee or protected person status, or
  • the parent or any sibling of the person granted refugee or protected person status if the person granted refugee or protected person status is a dependent child.

Christchurch response visa holder, or their immediate family:

• a holder of the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or
• a holder of a residence class visa who would have been eligible for the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or
• a holder of a residence class visa who is a family member of a living person, where that living person is:
  • the holder of a Christchurch Response Visa residing in or outside of New Zealand; or
  • a New Zealand citizen residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:
    • was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been a New Zealand citizen on 15 March 2019; or
    • was granted New Zealand citizenship after holding a Christchurch Response Visa; or
  • the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:
    • was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or
    • would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 or on 15 March 2019; or
  • the holder of a resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who held the resident visa on 15 March 2019 and who was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa.

Afghan evacuee:

• a holder of the Afghan Emergency Resettlement Resident Visa.

Employed in a role on the Green List:

• a person who:
  • is working in New Zealand on an Accredited Employer Work Visa; and
  • is working in an occupation that is specified on the Immigration New Zealand Green List or within the scope of a sector agreement; and
  • the qualification has been identified by the appropriate Workforce Development Council as being in the national interest; and
  • the qualification has been approved by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) as being in the national interest.

Prior study and training criteria

Learners starting study or training for the first time on or after 1 January 2025

Learners who have not undertaken any tertiary study or training before 2025 automatically meet the prior study and training criteria.

Final-year Fees Free entitlement is for the first eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme completed. Any study or training undertaken on or after 1 January 2025 that a learner does not complete will not impact their eligibility for Fees Free.

Learners who have undertaken study or training before 1 January 2025

To be eligible for Fees Free, learners must not have undertaken more than half a year of equivalent full-time tertiary education (0.5 equivalent full-time student (EFTS) or 60 credits) at Level 3 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), including tertiary education at an equivalent level undertaken in any country prior to 1 January 2025.

The following do not count as prior study or training

• Any tertiary education undertaken while enrolled in secondary school
• Any credits achieved as part of an industry training programme of fewer than 120 credits that were reported after 1 January 2018
• Any zero fee courses undertaken from 1 January 2023
• Any tertiary study or training that was funded through the Youth Guarantee, Māori and Pasifika Trades Training or Refugee English Funds
• Any study or training undertaken from 1 January 2025.

Targeted Training Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF)-funded programmes are included when assessing a learner’s prior study.

Learners who have used first-year Fees Free

Learners who have used first-year Fees Free are not eligible for final-year Fees Free, even if they did not use their full first-year entitlement.

Learner eligibility FAQs

Are there any age requirements for Fees Free?

There are no age requirements or restrictions for final-year Fees Free.

Are learners studying part-time eligible for Fees Free?

Learners eligible for Fees Free can study either part-time or full-time. However, Fees Free will not cover fees for study or training undertaken more than 5 years before the qualification or programme completion date.

What does “undertaken” mean in the context of prior study and training?

To have undertaken study or training, a learner has previously enrolled in tertiary education. For the purposes of Fees Free eligibility, this includes any study before 2025 that was:

• study or training undertaken in New Zealand and overseas
• study or training that wasn’t funded by the TEC
• part-time or full-time study or training
• workplace training or apprenticeships
• New Zealand study or training that pre-dates the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) or New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)
• incomplete study or training, including where a learner withdrew after the refund period
• study or training that received a fail grade
• study or training as a domestic or international student
• study or training from 2023 that had no fees associated with it, and
• study or training that the learner accessed a student loan for, paid for themselves, or paid for using a scholarship.

Does a learner have to have a student loan to be eligible for Fees Free?

No. A learner with or without a student loan who meets the eligibility criteria will be eligible for final-year Fees Free.

If a learner has already undertaken a qualification, are they able to get final-year Fees Free for another qualification?

Final-year Fees Free will cover the final year of the first qualification or programme a learner successfully completes from 1 January 2025. Study or training undertaken on or after 1 January 2025 that a learner does not complete will not impact their eligibility for Fees Free for a future qualification or programme that they complete.

If a learner has already completed a qualification or programme after 1 January 2025 (including overseas study), they will not be eligible for final-year Fees Free for a second qualification or programme.

Learners must meet the prior study eligibility criteria to receive Fees Free on completion of their qualification or programme. Study undertaken prior to 1 January 2025 will be included in a learner’s prior study assessment, including study or training not completed.

If a learner defers or fails courses during their study or takes longer than usual to complete a qualification, can they still get Fees Free?

There is no time limit within which a learner must start and complete a qualification or programme to be eligible for Fees Free. However, upon completion, Fees Free will only cover the final 1 EFTS / 24 months / $12,000 used within the last 5 years. Fees Free will not cover fees for study or training towards the learner’s final year undertaken more than 5 years before completion.

What happens if a learner changes their TEO or qualification part way through their study or training?

Fees Free entitlement will only be for the final year of the first completed eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme.

Generally, when cross-crediting from different qualifications or programmes, learners will not be able to claim Fees Free for the study undertaken towards another qualification or programme that they did not complete. 

Where a learner changes their TEO but continues in the same qualification or programme, Fees Free will cover the final-year of that qualification or programme across both TEOs.

For acceptance of a provider-based qualification at a lower level of the NZQCF, or “exit qualifications”, learners will be able to claim Fees Free for the final 1 EFTS or $12,000 for the qualification they were enrolled in prior to being awarded the exit qualification. In these circumstances, and circumstances where the learner’s qualification expires during their final year, TEC will need to collect additional data from provider-based TEOs to accurately calculate the learner’s entitlement.